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Frank Nweke Jr, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Enugu State, on Saturday enumerated his plans to leverage the intellectual and research capacity of the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) at a Town Hall Meeting hosted by the Senior Staff Club in the Institution.

In welcoming Nweke, the president of the club whose members include principal staff, academics and senior staff members of all cadre, Prof Chukwuemeka Ubaka, said that the UNN Senior Staff Club is the biggest university senior staff club in Africa.

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“We pride ourselves here because this is where we conglomerate after work and during weekends to have intellectual discussions while also relaxing. The club offers an avenue for interaction, interrogation and propagation of ideas and we look for ways to move Nigeria forward,” he said.

In his address, Frank Nweke Jr traced his life journey so far in terms of education and career, his service as a Minister overseeing various portfolios over four years, as Director General of Nigerian Economic Summit Group from 2009 to 2014 and in the private sector as an investor in the Media, Construction and Petrochemical industries.

He shared his deep concerns about the state of affairs in the country and in Enugu State in particular, noting that the advantages provided by the rich history, the presence of institutions like UNN, the arable lands and natural resources have remained inconsequential due to inept leadership.

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“I am one of those who feels very strongly that we have not fully optimized the reasons for which UNN was created. Our goal is to leverage your rich resources here in intellect and research capacity”

Nweke said he plans to expand the cooperation between the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and the State Government to make it fit for economic purposes as well as encourage collaboration among tech companies and traders and other interest groups.

“The communities that host our institutions of higher learning need to enjoy the full benefits of their presence. We will encourage the development of the enabling environment and support Nsukka’s emergence as a vibrant commercial hub, with UNN at the center.

“Our plan is to link the university to other educational institutions in its sphere of influence and to the local economy via the businesses and industries we attract as we improve the ease of doing business across the State.

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“Our research and development departments will be productively engaged to provide solutions for the local economy and attract national and global attention.

“We will facilitate the presence of technology companies to provide the digital infrastructure needed to support the growing tech hubs and promote innovation amongst our young people. We will also undertake the “Partnership For Jobs In Technology Program” with local and global tech companies for raising a tech talent pool in Enugu State.” He stated.

Nweke also enumerated the seven core points of his manifesto, restating that providing selfless, visionary and accountable leadership, which is the first core area, will be the driving force of his administration.

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